Victorian-era Military Barracks Near the Welsh Coast Listed for £500,000
The Defensible Barracks at Pembroke Dock were built around 1844 to house the local garrison of Royal Marines and protect the landward side of the dockyard from infantry assault.
One of the last trace bastion forts remaining in the UK with a design dating back to 16th century Italy, the 20-sided stone fort is situated on a hill overlooking the dockyards and is surrounded by a dry moat 16 feet deep and 42 feet wide, currently home to a colony of wild goats.
Accessed via a fixed steel bridge that replaced the original sliding drawbridge, the 45,000 sq ft property is laid out in a defensive square structure with bastions on each corner and a Georgian-style parade ground enclosed in the centre of the fort.
A piece of British military history, the fort has retained plenty of original details, featuring holes for muskets on the north gatehouse and winches for the former sliding bridge, VR crests, Prince of Wales feathers, canon batteries, and old ammunitions stores, disguised as a hairdressers in case of attack.
During the First World War, the fort was used as a siege-training school for the Royal Artillerymen, and served as the Milford Haven headquarters in the Second World War.
Previously declared the second-most endangered Victorian or Edwardian building in England and Wales, the Grade-II listed stone building will require extensive restoration—an estimated £4M to renovate, on top of the purchase price.
Full of character, the historic property presents an incredible development opportunity, having been granted permission in 1986 for the development of a hotel accommodation, and more recently, positive conversations with local authorities for conversion into residential properties.
Sold on a freehold basis, there is one leaseholder that lives in a converted flat in the east wing.
All photos belong to the listing agency.